Obama moves quickly to promote nuclear power

President Obama, who called for a "new generation" of nuclear power plants in his State of the Union address Wednesday, is quickly moving forward. He created a panel Friday to recommend ways to dispose of used nuclear fuel and is expected Monday to propose tripling loan guarantees for new plant construction.

Obama's pitch to expand U.S. nuclear power is seen by some members of Congress and analysts as an effort to win GOP support for his legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, passed by the House of Representatives last year but pending in the Senate.

"Nuclear energy has long been the drumbeat for Republican lawmakers on how to reduce greenhouse gases," Josh Margolis, an executive at CantorCO2e, a carbon broker, told Reuters. "This should help win votes from those lawmakers who doubted the sincerity of those who advocated for climate change goals."

Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., welcomed Obama's speech as a way to court fellow GOP support for the bill, which would need 60 votes to break a likely filibuster in the Senate. Still, he says some Republicans are nervous about other parts of the bill, including limits on heat-trapping pollutants that can be emitted.

"The president did a great job putting nuclear on the table in a robust way, as well as offshore drilling for oil and natural gas," Graham told the Associated Press. "I hope Republicans understand we have a once in lifetime chance, but in return we have to come up with emissions standards."

Graham has been working with Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., to craft the climate-change bill. Lieberman also praised Obama for "reaching out beyond the Democratic Party base," but according to AP, questioned if it would be enough to win passage.

Several news reports, including one by Bloomberg, cite administration officials saying Obama will ask Congress in his 2011 budget -- to be unveiled Monday -- for $54 billion in loan guarantees to build new nuclear plants, up from the $18.5 billion now available.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, told Reuters that these extra loan guarantees are "a good first step toward expanding our use of clean nuclear energy."

Currently, 104 commercial nuclear power plants provide 20% of U.S. electricity but 70% of power from pollution-free sources, including wind, solar and hydroelectric dams, according to the Department of Energy.

Analyses of the climate bill suggest more nuclear power plants, which produce no carbon emissions, will be needed to meet its' 80% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050.

Some environmentalists and Democratic supporters, as noted in a prior post, have panned Obama's call for more nuclear power plants, citing safety concerns with their operation and storage of used nuclear fuel.

To assuage those concerns, Obama also wants to ensure that used nuclear fuel is safely stored.

He promised last year to study long-term storage after deciding not to pursue Nevada's Yucca Mountain, which federal law has designated as the nation's first site for storing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other Nevada politicians have opposed Yucca Mountain.

An important part of a sound, comprehensive, and long-term domestic nuclear energy strategy is a well-considered policy for managing used nuclear fuel and other aspects of the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Yet the Nation's approach, developed more than 20 years ago, to managing materials derived from nuclear activities, including nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, has not proven effective. Fortunately, over the past two decades scientists and engineers in our country and abroad have learned a great deal about effective strategies for managing nuclear material.

Chu announced that the panel will be co-chaired by former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind., and former national security adviser Brent Scowcroft. Its 15 members will provide an interim report within 18 months and a final report in 24 months.

"As the world moves to tackle climate change and diversify our national energy portfolio, nuclear energy will play a vital role," Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change, said as the panel's members were announced. She added:

Today, the Obama Administration has taken an important step. With the creation of the Blue Ribbon Commission, we are bringing together leading experts from around the country to ensure a safe and sustainable nuclear energy future.

Readers: Do you welcome loan guarantees to build new power plants and a panel to study storage of used nuclear fuel?

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Wendy Koch has been a reporter and editor at USA TODAY since 1998, covering politics and social issues. She's begun a quest to build the most eco-friendly home her budget allows. She'll share her experience and give you tips for greening your home. More about Wendy